InuYasha: A Modern Fairytale
by EvaBeva
Summary: Although she lives in a world where demons and humans coexist, Kagome never believed her Grandfather's stories of powerful priestesses and magic. That is, until she falls asleep on the train-ride home and gets off on the wrong stop. What's an average girl to do? - A modern take on Rumiko Takahashi's InuYasha.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Based off of Rumiko Takahashi's InuYasha. All characters belong to her. I'm just modernizing it.

* * *

Prologue

"Outta my way if you know what's good for ya!"

Shouts of alarm echoed through the modest streets of the once-quiet farming town as a white-haired youth dashed through the crowds, knocking down anyone and anything in his way. His speed was incredible; he was practically a blur of red and white among the drab buildings. In his hand, he clutched a stone-beaded necklace with a round pink jewel at the end.

He nearly stumbled when a sharp voice caught his sensitive ears.

"InuYasha!"

In a second, he felt a sharp stab of pain in his heart and tumbled onto the asphalt, his momentum skidding him over the rough surface. His rolling finally stopped as he crashed into a bike rack.

Blinking away the intense throbbing in his head, he managed to lift his gaze to a young woman kneeling down to pick up the necklace he dropped a few yards away. Although his vision was becoming blurry, he could see the girl's piercing glare through her thick black hair that fell around her face and shoulders. But something was different about her. Something he couldn't quite identify, but the sight of it made his stomach ache.

"Kikyo…" His voice was rough, and another jolt of pain in his chest caused him to hunch over and claw at the concrete. The gears and wires of the fallen bikes dug into his skin. He grit his teeth and managed to growl, "Damn you… I thought -" He gasped, clutching over his heart, and he could no longer speak as one last wave of pain dragged him into unconsciousness.

The girl named Kikyo tried to stand, but her legs gave way beneath her, and she slumped onto the street. She could feel the heat of her body drain away as blood streamed out of the large gash that ran across her back, soaking her white haori. It was quickly becoming as red as her hakama. The girl's breathing was labored, and her body trembled, though she no longer felt pain. She felt numb, and she was running out of time.

"Kikyo!" an elderly woman gasped as she ran up to the girl. The old woman dressed in more elaborate priestess attire knelt down by her apprentice. Her withered hands trembled over the girl's wound. "Kikyo, we need to take you to the hospital. This wound -"

"It's too late," Kikyo interrupted coldly. She didn't mean to snap at the woman, but the aching somewhere in the pit of her stomach irked her. She swallowed the metallic taste in her mouth and looked up to the old woman. The woman's furrowed brow and deep frown exaggerated the lines on her face, yet the wet gleam in her eye that wasn't covered by an eyepatch made her look like a helpless child.

Bringing the necklace to her chest, Kikyo managed to breathe out, "Lady Kaede... please... once I pass on, you must find a way to destroy this jewel... It must not fall into the hands of anyone who would abuse its power."

By this time, a crowd of townspeople gathered around, some calling for an ambulance, some murmuring to each other about the events that caused one of their priestesses to be attacked by a half-demon.

Kaede shook her head, wisps of sandy gray hair flying around her. "Don't speak of such things, my child. You can still be saved."

"No," Kikyo choked out, forbidding the sting in her eyes to form tears. "I can't…"

"Kikyo…"

The girl gripped the jewel in her slender hand, the stone beads poking into her palm. Her head was spinning, and dark spots were slowly clouding her vision. With whatever breath she had left in her lungs, she whispered, "The Shikon no Tama… for such a thing…"

The darkness soon overwhelmed her as the air escaped the girl's chest. With a final shudder, Kikyo's lifeless body collapsed into a puddle of her own blood, and the jewel vanished from her hands.

Chapter 1

"Youch!" Kagome cried, clutching her side and startling her cat.

"What's the matter, dear?" the girl's mother asked from the kitchen, halting her hand that was busy chopping vegetables.

"Nothing now," Kagome groaned, rubbing the area where she felt the pain, just at the side of her stomach. "I just got this huge cramp all of a sudden."

"Is it that time of the month?" her mother asked gently. She wiped her hands on her yellow apron and stepped into the living room where Kagome and her grandfather sat and watched the local news.

"Ugh, _Mom_!"

Her grandfather suddenly whipped out a little keychain of a pink marble from a nearby box filled to the brim with their shrine trinkets. "Here you are, my dear! A Shikon no Tama to cure yourself of any misfortune!" He passed the keychain to his granddaughter, who took it and eyed it skeptically.

"Grandpa, this is just a marble we sell to tourists."

"Well yes, but it holds lots of history!" The old man shifted his thin body to face his granddaughter, his joints popping at the exertion. "You see, hundreds of years ago, the Shikon no Tama, or Jewel of Four Souls -"

"You already told me this story. Besides, I don't believe in fairytales." Her grandfather looked hurt, but she either didn't see him or chose to ignore him. She found more interest in waving the keychain above her cat, Buyo, as he tapped it with his little brown paws. She was tired of hearing all her grandfather's tales of yore and decided to move on to a more important topic. "Oh, Grandpa! Do you remember what day it is tomorrow?"

The old man beamed at her, his melancholy mood quickly forgotten. "How could I forget my only granddaughter's birthday?" He reached over to open a little cabinet from the stand under the small television and pulled out a neatly wrapped present. "It's a day early, but happy birthday, Kagome!"

"Oh wow! Thanks, Grandpa!" She quickly tore off the wrappings and popped open the box. She was hoping for some new shoes, or maybe a new purse, but all she got was a wrinkly webbed claw of sorts. Her face fell as she hesitantly picked up the thing and examined it, the skin feeling like hard leather in her hand. Typical.

"It's a mummified Kappa hand!" her grandfather proclaimed, puffing out his chest and stroking his long white beard. "It is said to bring good fortune and -"

"Buyo," Kagome sighed, waving the hand over her cat's head. Its eyes darkened as it stared up at the withered thing. "Eat."

The cat eagerly took the hand in its mouth and strutted away as Kagome's grandfather gaped after it in shock. He tried to snatch back the gift, but the cat evaded his grasp with grace. Buyo was quick for a fat feline. "No, that's wasteful! Buyo, come back!"

"Dinner's ready!" Kagome's mother called from the kitchen. With a huff, Kagome got up and joined her little brother, Sota, who was already seated at the table, chopsticks in hand.

He beamed up at her as she sat beside him. "Hey, Sis, you'll never guess what happened today!"

Kagome half-heartedly listened to her brother's ramblings as she daydreamed about what it would be like to be sixteen.

* * *

Kagome yawned as she dragged her feet out of school the next day.

She was so excited for her birthday that she completely forgot she had a math exam that day and totally bombed it. It was never her best subject, but it still bummed her out. She was planning to head out after school with her friends Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi to celebrate her big day, but her teacher insisted she stay later to talk about her less-than-stellar grade in math. And what's worse, she was forced to stay longer and help clean up the classroom because one of the baseball players had to leave early for a tournament. She didn't even have the energy to take up her friends' offer to have dinner at WacDonalds. She just wanted to sleep.

The sun was setting, casting orange, pink and red light across the scattered clouds, and there was a cool breeze. At least the weather was nice. She guessed she'd probably make it home by nighttime, but she didn't worry because she already called her mom to tell her she'd be late. She was just glad that when she arrived at the train station there was barely anyone there. Maybe she'd be able to sit and rest on the ride back home.

As she waited for the train to arrive, she watched the electronic bulletin board flash ads for vacations, drinks, and a couple new movies. Then it flashed the usual warning in fluorescent red and yellow lights:

"CAUTION: Be on the lookout for suspicious activity. Watch for malevolent demons. If one is spotted, call the Demon Hunters at…"

She wasn't too concerned about demons. Most of the ones she'd seen had never bothered anyone. In fact, in the small crowd she stood in, about a third of them were demons disguised as humans, as most of them usually were. It was strange. All her life, she could see the demons' true forms when everyone else couldn't. She never knew why, but the first time she mentioned it as a kid, it caused a lot trouble. Attention turned to the disguised demon, there was nervous tension, and the demon tried to flee but was immediately surrounded by patrolling hunters and arrested. She never knew what happened after the demon was dragged away, but the horror on its face unnerved her. So she decided to stay quiet after that. None of them deserved that kind of treatment, as long as she could tell. She still felt guilty about it to this day.

Of course there were evil demons around, but she never encountered them. Most of the malevolent demons joined gangs and lurked around the dark districts just outside the big cities. She'd been smart not to go anywhere near those areas because some of the most gruesome crimes happened there. However, if she remembered correctly, there was a reported murder about a week ago in a little farming town further south. Apparently a priestess was killed by a half-demon, and the culprit went missing soon after.

But she wasn't worried. The town was a long ways away, and if the criminal tried to get anywhere near Tokyo, he'd be spotted easily. Half-demons (also known as _hanyous_ ), unlike their full-demon counterparts, weren't able to disguise themselves, and, from what she had heard, were pretty otherworldly-looking. She'd never seen one, but she would be lying if she said she wasn't curious.

The train finally arrived, and she stepped on, relieved to see open seats available. She sat down with her backpack on her lap and gazed out the window, watching the sky get dimmer by the minute.

She didn't realize she had fallen asleep until the train lurched suddenly, nearly tossing her and the other passengers out of their seats. An ear-splitting screech rang through the air as the wheels grated against the tracks until they finally stopped. It was quiet for a while, people murmuring worriedly. After a minute or two, the conductor's voice came over the intercom.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize for the inconvenience. It seems as though we have some technical issues, and we politely ask you all to exit the cars at this time. Fortunately, we are about a kilometer away from the next station, so if you'd like to walk further ahead, another train will arrive within the hour. We are now in the town of…"

Wait, what town did he say they were in? Kagome suddenly felt a twinge of anxiety, but wasn't sure if she heard him correctly. She asked the nearest passenger, a young college student, what town the conductor said they were in, and the student repeated what the conductor said. Kagome's stomach dropped, and she could feel the blood drain from her face.

She overslept, and now she was in a little town an hour outside of Tokyo.

Suddenly furious at herself, she stepped out of the car and tugged at her hair. Once she was out of the crowd, standing on the side of a grassy hill a yard away from the tracks, she let out grunts of frustration and stomped and kicked around in circles. "Stupid! Stupid! _Stupid!_ "

After a moment of her little tantrum, she took in a slow, deep breath. She'd just have to call her mom to inform her of the situation. She slipped out her cellphone from her skirt pocket and flipped it open, immediately dialing her mom's number.

Her mom picked up in two rings. "Kagome?"

"Hi, Mom," Kagome groaned. She saw that the crowd was quickly moving towards the next station, so the decided she might as well follow them, not wanting to stay in the grassy opening while it was dark out.

"Kagome, where are you? We're worried sick!"

"I'm fine, Mom, but I fell asleep on the train and now I'm -"  
"Wh-t?" her mom interrupted, her voice choppy over the phone.

"Mom? Can you hear me?"

"Ka-me? Y- th-?"

"Yeah, Mom, I -" A beep indicated that the call ended. Kagome looked at her phone incredulously. It was dead. "ARE YOU _KIDDING_ ME?!"

Her sudden shout startled some people around her, and it took all her strength not to break her phone. Instead, she stomped to the nearest light pole and kicked it, only to have a sore toe in return. She was about to ask to borrow someone's phone, but her sudden outburst made them weary of her.

Fuming, she spotted the light of the small train station and stormed towards it. Just her luck. How could all of this happen in one day? And on her birthday, no less. She felt like the world was out to get her.

Once she was at the station, she plopped down on a nearby bench and dropped her head in her hands. She was exhausted and beyond irritated at herself. How could this day get any worse?

"Excuse me, miss?" a rough voice crooned.

Taking in a deep breath to collect herself, she looked up to see a frightening woman towering over her. Not really a woman, but a demon. The creature had translucent pale skin and six thin arms. She didn't even wear a shirt, exposing her small white breasts and long torso. But she wore a tight red leather skirt and green boots. Her long hair was thin, dark and greasy, and her eyes were completely black, devoid of light. Her fanged grin made Kagome's skin crawl.

Kagome swallowed heavily and moistened her suddenly dry mouth. "Y-Yes?"

"You have something want," the creature responded, eyeing the young girl up and down.

"I'm sorry?" Kagome's pulse drummed in her ears, and she suddenly started to sweat although the air was crisp for spring.

"The jewel." The creature leaned forward, backing Kagome further into the bench. Kagome looked around to see if anyone could help her, but the station was empty. When did that happen? Where did everyone go?

"The jewel," the creature repeated, her sour breath surrounding Kagome's senses, "I want it." Suddenly, the creature's mouth opened abnormally wide, exposing elongated, sharp teeth, and its long tongue slithered out to lick the side of Kagome's face, leaving a trail of slime.

Completely creeped out of her skin, Kagome squirmed and tried to push the thing away as it took hold of her arms with an iron grip. Finding her voice, Kagome shouted, "Get _off_ of me!" and a bright pink light surrounded them, followed by a sharp scream.

Before Kagome's eyes, a couple of the creature's arms tore off her body, splashing Kagome's face with blood as the demon flew back into the pit of the train tracks. Completely baffled by the events that just occurred, she stared at where the demon disappeared. Everything was relatively quiet, except for the buzzing of the lights and crickets, along with cars driving nearby. It wasn't until she felt a little pressure on her bicep that she realized one of the demon's arms was still latched onto her, the grip still twitching.

She let out a squeak and flung the appendage off her. Not taking the risk to see if the thing was alive, she slung on her backpack and sprinted out of the station and into the streets of the little town. She didn't know where to go or who to trust. What if there were more demons around out to get her? And why was the creature talking about a jewel? Kagome wasn't even wearing any jewelry. Whatever. It didn't matter what the thing wanted. She just needed a phone.

The streets she ran through were almost empty, save for the few people strolling home or into little shops. She'd never been to a small village like this, and she was completely lost. Where was the local Hunter station? Did this town even have a payphone? It was like this town hadn't upgraded in decades.

As she turned the corner, she spotted a little park with a massive tree and a small playground. She thought it best to hide there and catch her breath before continuing on. She ran around the giant tree, but tripped over someone's leg and slid over the cool grass. Quickly apologizing and trying to ignore the stinging in her hands and knees, she glanced over to see that the person she stumbled over sat limp against the tree, his chin tucked against his chest.

He was a boy her age, wearing tattered jeans and sneakers and a dirty red letterman jacket over a stained white shirt. But his clothes didn't surprise her; his hair did. His tousled silver hair practically glowed under the dim streetlights. And… were those dog ears on his head? He must be a demon. But she had never seen dog ears on a demon before.

Without thinking, she extended her hand to touch those fuzzy ears, but their sudden twitching stopped her. The boy's face contorted and his breath hitched, which turned into a fit of rough, violent coughing, his body hunching over. His hands clawed at the ground, digging deep into the damp earth.

Kagome didn't know what to do. He glistened with sweat, his hair sticking to his dark skin. His breathing became forceful and rough, and one of his clawed hands gripped his chest, just over his heart. Was he having a heart attack or something?

"H-Hey, are you okay?" she stammered, reaching out to him.

He swung his arm at her, forcefully knocking her back into the grass. Regaining her senses, she looked back at him in confusion, then fear. Through his hair, she could see bright gold eyes glaring at her with a fire that burned. His thick black brows furrowed, and his sharp fangs bared menacingly at her. He looked completely feral.

His breathing settled a bit, but was still heavy and labored. His voice came out in a deep growl. "You…"

Kagome gulped and backed away. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"Back to finish me off, eh, _Kikyo_?" he spat the last word out like poison on his tongue.

"Kikyo? I'm not-"

A harsh voice cut her off. "There you are, you little brat!"

Kagome whipped around to see the demon from the train station; however, its body had grown much longer with several insect-like legs jutting out - like a giant centipede.

"Give me the jewel!" the demon screeched, lunging at Kagome.

In a panic, Kagome scrambled back to the boy and grabbed a hold of his shirt just as the centipede clutched her waist with a bruising grip.

"Let me go!" Kagome shouted as the demon pulled her harder.

" _You_ let go!" the boy demanded, trying to pry off her hands as he was dragged along with her.

"Troublesome girl! I'll devour you along with the Shikon no Tama!" the demon roared.

"The-" the boy halted in his struggle. Did the creep say...?

Just before the demon moved to eat the girl, Kagome dared to let go of the boy's shirt and defend herself. Desperately, she shouted, " _Stop it!_ "

Just like at the station, a pink light surrounded them and the demon was thrown back into the playground.

Kagome sat there in the grass, breathless. How did she do that?

Quicker than before, the centipede recovered and slithered back to her prey. "Damn you, _bitch!_ "

Within a second, the centipede's fangs sunk into the side of Kagome's stomach, then ripped away a bloody mouthful of flesh. Kagome was in such a state of shock that she didn't have time to scream. The force of the attack threw her to the ground, causing a sharp stinging in her side. She heard a soft _thunk_ before her, and through the blurriness in her eyes, she saw a pink round jewel covered in blood roll in the grass. Was that jewel inside her the whole time?

"I knew you were hiding it!" The demon rasped, slinking back around to finish the job.

"That's mine!" The boy exclaimed from the tree, trembling as he tried to hold himself up on his hands and knees. His eyes shown desperately towards Kagome. "Hurry! Give me the jewel!"

Before Kagome could react, she was swept up by the centipede's thick body and thrown against the tree along with the boy. The creature's body coiled around them and the tree, crushing her body against his, her race pressed against the boy's stomach. Even through his grimy clothes, she could feel his intense body heat and smell the sweat and dirt on his skin. Did this guy ever bathe?

A sickening chuckle bubbled out of the centipede as it looked back at its captives with its cold beady eyes, Kagome's blood dripping from its mouth. "I heard of some lowly half-breed called InuYasha who was after the Shikon no Tama." The creature focused on the boy, a toothy grin crawling over its lips. "You must be the brat."

The Shikon no Tama? Like the one in Grandpa's stories? Kagome was beyond confused. She thought the thing didn't exist.

She felt the boy tense underneath her, and a low growl rumbled through his chest. As she looked up at him, she wondered, was he really a hanyou?

The boy let out a forced laugh. "Don't underestimate me, creep. If I went up against a small-fry demon like you, I'd-"

"Hey!" Kagome interjected. The boy looked down at her with a scrunched-up expression, like he just smelt something rotten. She ignored it. "You've been all bark and no bite this whole time. Are you really as strong and you say you are?"

The boy's nostrils flared and his mouth pressed in a thin line. Sweat continued to roll down his face and neck, and Kagome couldn't tell if he was growling or trembling.

"He can't fight in that sorry state," the centipede purred, slinking by the fallen jewel. "Looks like you have quite the nasty curse. All that pain, but not able to die…" Its long tongue slipped from its mouth and coiled around the jewel. InuYasha began to squirm helplessly. "What a pity. I was hoping for a little fun…" The centipede lifted the jewel into its mouth and swallowed it whole. An even bigger smile stretched across its face. " _Oh well_ ," it sang.

"Shit!" InuYasha cursed, struggling against the creature's hold on them.

The centipede's body began to tremble, its hold on them tightening until Kagome thought her ribs would break. Then, with a high-pitched screech, the demon shuddered as its skin peeled off, exposing slick grey, veiny flesh. Its eyelids pulled back until her eyes bulged, and they slowly turned into a vibrant red. Her teeth grew as her lips stretched back against her skull, forming a sickening grin.

Through it all, the creature cackled and shivered in pleasure. " _Yes!_ All this power flowing through my veins! It's de _light_ ful!"

Kagome clutched InuYasha's shirt as the centipede tightened its grip on them. She was starting to get lightheaded.

"Hey…" the boy mumbled to Kagome. She looked up at him, but he was staring off somewhere else, his expression pained but stern. "You think you can get rid of the seal on my chest?"

"Seal?" She looked at his chest, and just peaking out from under his stretched shirt, she saw a glowing spot over his heart. "How do I-"

"Do not touch that seal!" a withered voice rasped behind her, followed by a gunshot and the centipede's sharp yelp. Kagome managed to look over her shoulder to see an old priestess surrounded by common men armed with rifles and handguns, while the centipede swayed and shook its bleeding head. These people didn't look like the Hunters in the city. The priestess glared at the boy, but spoke to Kagome. "Young lady, you must not dissolve that seal! That is the only thing that keeps that dog down!"

InuYasha scoffed. "Wouldja rather be insect food?! If that thing absorbs the jewel, this whole town will be dead by morning!" This seemed to shut the woman up as she glared at him with her one eye. InuYasha focused his attention back to Kagome. "You! D'you wanna die?!"

As if! Crushed to death by an insect demon with some strange boy in some strange little town?! No way she wanted to die like this!

Kagome didn't know exactly how to get rid of the seal, but she placed her palm over his chest and pressed firmly. She suddenly felt a strong pulse push back, and InuYasha grunted, his body tensing and his teeth grinding together. Then, with some unknown power within her, Kagome fisted her hand over the pulse and tore the seal away in a stream of light.

InuYasha's eyes flew open, and he gasped as if he just emerged from under water. Beneath her clammy palms, Kagome could feel his heart racing, and his chest rose and fell with each easy breath. Soon, those breaths evolved into a chuckle, which turned into joyous laughter. But this laughter made Kagome uneasy - the look in his eyes was dangerous.

With all the power he could muster, InuYasha lurched forward and burst through the centipede's body, knocking Kagome back along with chunks of the centipede's body. The demon screeched and glared at the youth who spun through the air with a newfound energy. Facing the creature, InuYasha crouched low, his claws set, and his fangs gleaming in a wide grin.

The centipede flew towards him, its teeth bared. "You'll pay for that, you _brat_!"

"Bring it, _bitch_!" InuYasha shouted back, launching towards his prey. With one sweep of his arm, he tore through the demon's body with ease. Without as much as a yelp from the centipede, its body parts flew everywhere with each swipe of the hanyou's claws. The whole ordeal was over within seconds, and the boy stopped to admire his handiwork, blood splashed all over his hands and clothes. All Kagome and the townspeople could do is sit back and watch as flesh rained down around them. The boy really was strong after all.

Kagome noticed movement at the corner of her eye and saw that one of the centipede's legs was twitching. She jumped back and squeaked, "Ew! It's still moving!"

"Young lady," the old woman addressed Kagome as she shuffled towards the girl, her face still stern. "You must retrieve the jewel from the demon's body, else it will revive again."

"You serious?" Kagome glanced around at all the chunks of flesh surrounding her. "How do I know where it is?"

"It should be glowing," the woman explained evenly.

"Um…" It wasn't long until she spotted a piece of twitching muscle glowing with a soft pink light. She scrambled towards it and retrieved it with a trembling hand. It slipped out with a wet _pop_ and dragged out a line of mucus or slime. Either way, Kagome gagged as she wiped the jewel against the dirt.

The old woman came to look over the girl's shoulder. There was something very familiar about this girl, and the woman found it strange that this girl possessed such unique powers similar to…

"So…" Kagome began, looking up at the woman. The sudden resemblance made the old woman's frail heart skip a beat. "This… _Shikon no Tama_ , you call it… it can increase a demon's power?"

The woman's mouth opened, but InuYasha answered instead. "That's right, and you humans have no business with it."

Kagome looked up to see the youth standing over her, that terrifying grin on his lips, his claws still poised to strike. The yellow streetlights behind him framed his silhouette, his hair reflecting the light in a way that made it look like it was on fire. His glowing yellow eyes made him look like some wild animal. Kagome suddenly felt heat drain from her face.

The boy huffed down at her, cracking his knuckles. "Now, hand over the jewel - if you value your life, that is."

Kagome blinked up at him. Wasn't he supposed to be helping them?

"You must not give him the jewel, child," the old priestess demanded behind her.

InuYasha ignored her and just growled, his smirk quickly forming into a scowl down at Kagome. "I'm tired of waiting. And I won't go easy on you, especially when you smell _so disgusting_!"

Kagome saw him coil back to strike, and she jumped out of his reach with a yelp. His attack barreled into the ground, leaving a deep hole in its wake. Turning to face her again, he crouched on all fours, staring at her like a hungry beast.

"Next time I'll cut you in half," he growled.

Suddenly angry, Kagome shouted, "What's your _problem_? Is this the thanks I get for helping you?"

To the side, one of the townsmen murmured to the priestess, "Lady Kaede, I don't think releasing InuYasha is any better than the centipede…"

Kaede sighed heavily and folded her fingers in front of her. "Such a foolish boy…" She closed her eyes in a silent prayer.

Ignoring the townspeople, InuYasha leapt at Kagome once more as she ran towards the playground.

"Leave me alone!" Kagome shouted, hiding behind a slide.

"Not until I get what's mine!" InuYasha barked back, swiping at her and slicing the slide in half. The force of his attack pushed Kagome back into the sand, and she let go of the jewel in the process. InuYasha spotted it immediately.

But before InuYasha could do anything, a line began to glow on his skin over his collarbone and looped around his neck. When the glow faded away, he pulled the collar of his shirt to look down at his chest and saw a tattoo of a necklace with jagged beads printed on his skin. "What the…?"

"Young lady!" Kaede called over to Kagome. "Recite an incantation to subdue his soul!"

"A what?!" Kagome panicked.

"Anything will do! A word to subdue him!"

"B-But what kind of word?"

InuYasha scoffed and launched for Kagome again. "As if you could subdue _me_!"

Kagome avoided his blow again, snatching back the jewel and struggling to think of a subjugating word. Freeze? Stop? Stay? Then, the flick of the boy's fuzzy ears gave her a ridiculous idea. She sucked in a deep breath and shouted with all the conviction she could muster. "SIT!"

Instantly, the tattoo around InuYasha's neck glowed, and his upper body was thrust to the ground. For a moment, all was quiet.

One of the men was the first to speak. "L-Lady, Kaede, is he…?"

"No," she answered, "he's not dead, just stunned."

InuYasha lay there, eyes wide. He just ate dirt, and all because of one stupid word! He angrily pushed himself to his knees and tugged at his shirt to glare at the tattoo. "The hell is this?!"

Kaede acknowledged the boy coolly, "That is a spell to keep you out of trouble. You are powerless to remove it."

InuYasha growled and scrambled to his feet. "Why you son-of-a-"

"The word, please."

Kagome pointed to the hanyou and firmly said, "Sit, boy!" Like before, he dropped face-down to the ground. Kagome tried to stifle a giggle. This was actually kind of funny. She just wished she were able to do it sooner.

Kaede took in an exasperated breath and addressed the girl. "Now then, Miss," Kagome turned to the woman, "if you will follow me to the shrine, I will gladly fix you up."

Kagome hesitated and glanced at the boy who still lay flat on the ground, too humiliated to get up.

"Don't mind him," Kaede reassured. "Now that he has that leash bound to him, he is no longer a threat."

"Okay…" Kagome slowly approached the priestess. Her limbs were still a bit shaky from all that adrenaline.

Kaede then spoke to the men, "You all head home now. All is well."

Relived, the men politely bowed and turned home.

"You are a strange girl," Kaede commented, glancing at the girl next to her. "May I ask for your name?"

"Higurashi Kagome," she replied. "Thank you so much for helping me, and I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused."

"Think nothing of it, my dear. But I am curious as to how you got into this predicament."

* * *

 **A/N:** Hi! This is my first fanfic, and I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! I always wondered what the whole story would be like if there were no time travel, so this is my way of playing out those possibilities. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

also, the original story of InuYasha takes place all in one year, but I'm going to extend the timeline to 3 years. This gives the characters more time to grow and mature, so this might be long...


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**

Disclaimer: InuYasha and the characters and the main plot of this shindig belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. I'm just modernizing them.

Thanks my editors Jade and Megan!

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Chapter 2

"Why are you following us?" Kagome snapped at the boy trailing behind her and the priestess. They were headed to the local shrine and Kagome hardly felt comfortable with their new stalker, since he just attempted to kill her and all.

InuYasha folded his hands behind his head and scrunched his nose. "Ain't it obvious? I want the jewel!"

"But he's too humiliated to attack you," Kaede commented, rounding a bend. The bend led to a dirt path to a modest Shinto shrine, resting against the mountain, surrounded by trees. Beside it, stood a simple hut-like home. Dim lanterns lined the border of both structures, and the soft illumination made the plot of land look ancient.

The boy scoffedand glared at the old woman. "Think you're smart, don'tcha? I can still—" A pair headlights slashed through the darkness. The source was a car pulling up just outside the Torii gate. It had a sleek shape to it, and the closer they got to it, the easier it was for Kagome to identify the print on the side. It belonged to a demon hunter.

InuYasha's arms dropped, his hands slapping his thighs. "Ah, shit."

As a large man exited the cab, Kaede turned to the young girl beside her. "Kagome, why don't you go on ahead and wash up?" She nodded towards the house. "We'll be inside shortly."

Kagome glanced towards the man approaching them, then back to Kaede. Seeing how she was calm, and InuYasha wasn't running for the hills, she assumed it was okay to leave them to whatever they were going to do. The issue probably didn't involve her anyways. So she headed towards the hut, catching InuYasha's snide remarks on her way in.

…

Kagome wasn't comfortable taking a bath with strangers around, which explained why she spent a good fifteen minutes scrubbing blood and dirt from her hands, legs, and face at the sink. And although her high school uniform was torn and stained, she decided to just grin and bear it. Blood trickled slightly from the gash on the side of her stomach. Even though she found some first-aid supplies under the bathroom sink, she didn't know how to close the wound. Kagome had a feeling that anti-bacterial spray and gauze wouldn't be fix it. It might even need a couple stitches. Maybe Kaede could help her once the hunter and hanyou left.

After patching up her big scratches with band-aids, Kagome left the bathroom and headed down the short hall towards the living room. She stopped in her tracks when she heard InuYasha's voice boom through the shoji door.

"I already told you, I didn't kill the bitch!" Kagome could barely hear his voice crack in frustration.

A significantly deeper voice responded. "The autopsy report showed lethal claw marks from her right shoulder and down her back. Those wounds were made within the hour before she passed away. She was also chasing after you for stealing the Shikon Jewel from this shrine at that time." Kagome knew that the speaker had to be the hunter, and although he spoke in a leveled tone, she picked up on some hints of irritation.

InuYasha growled. "Yeah, I stole the jewel, but I didn't kill her for it! I didn't even lay a hand on her! Besides, she probably ran into some wild wolf in the forest or something — you don't have _any_ evidence that I did it!"

"Sato," Kaede interrupted, "I understand your claims, and I want my granddaughter's murderer put to justice more than anything, but I find it difficult to believe that InuYasha killed her. Besides, Kikyo was not at the shrine when InuYasha stole the jewel. _I_ was."

"And yet you still refuse to press charges against him for that crime alone," Sato stated.

"That is because I can handle his punishment on my own. But even so, when I was in pursuit of InuYasha, I saw Kikyo arrive with the wounds already inflicted, coming from the opposite direction as he. He couldn't have done that to her. InuYasha would never kill my granddaughter… he… " Although Kaede was confident, it seemed like she was struggling for words. Kagome was baffled that Kaede could have so much faith in InuYasha, even after seeing how he tried to cut her to pieces a while ago!

Sato sighed heavily. "Lady Kaede, I respect your intuition, but I cannot ignore the evidence —"

"Assumptions!" InuYasha blurted out. "And you can't arrest me on assumptions. You have no witnesses of the attack, no DNA — nothing!"

"Then give me a lock of your hair."

InuYasha snorted. "Hell no!"

"InuYasha, please," Kaede murmured.

Sato added, with an air of cockiness, "If you're so certain that you didn't murder Lady Kikyo, then you should be confident that your DNA is nowhere to be found on her body. Otherwise I can assume —"

Kagome heard InuYasha grunt as he plucked hair from his head. "Fine!" he huffed at the hunter. "Take it! But I wanna see your sorry face when you find out that I ain't a liar."

The hunter grunted, and Kagome heard rustling fabric and brief footsteps. "I appreciate your cooperation, but know this, boy, one more slip-up and you're gone. Lady Kaede can't protect you forever."

InuYasha snickered at the threat. Footsteps approached, and Kagome hurried to hide around the corner down the hall.

The door slid open, and Sato and Kaede paused at the front of the house.

Sato whispered to the priestess, "Lady Kaede, I don't know what you see in that boy, but with all due respect, I think you're putting your faith in the wrong person. He's a delinquent — a demon! He can't be trusted."

Kaede was unwavering. "I have known that boy long enough to know he is incapable of killing in cold blood —"

"But the incident this evening —"

"Was a misunderstanding, which I will amend myself. Now, if you don't mind…" Her voice faded as she led the hunter away from the house.

Kagome placed a hand against her chest, feeling her pulse pound through her uniform. InuYasha was the hanyou she had heard about? But why would Kaede back him up if he was violent and —

"It's no use hiding behind that wall. I can smell your blood," InuYasha muttered.

Although Kagome was wary of him, she did not fear him, so she stepped out and faced him with a glare. He stood in the living room doorway and stared after Sato, a scowl on his face and arms crossed over his chest. Kagome spoke with conviction, "I don't know why Kaede's being so nice to you, but you should at least thank her for sticking her neck out like that."

InuYasha rolled his eyes and sauntered back into the living room. "I don't 'gotta thank anybody. She's the one bein' stupid and trusting a _demon_."

Kagome followed him and watched him as he plopped down next to the low table, grabbed a bowl of stew, and slurped it up greedily. Kagome realized then that if anything, InuYasha knew how to gobble things up like a demon. "You're an ungrateful jerk, you know that?" she huffed.

InuYasha leaned his elbows on the table and chewed with an open mouth. "I've been called worse."

"Miss. Kagome," Kaede started as she walked in, "how are your injuries?"

Kagome lifted the hem of her shirt and pointed at the wound. "This one won't stop bleeding, and it's throbbing a little."

Kaede examined it carefully then hummed thoughtfully, "It needs proper cleaning and stitches, but it's nothing to be worried about. You're very lucky it wasn't any deeper."

Her? _Lucky?_ Sure, Kagome didn't die, but she was still stuck in this village with a half-demon after some magic jewel that was recently torn out of her body. How could Kaede think any of this made her lucky? More importantly, would anyone believe this fairytale of a story if she told them?

Kagome didn't notice that Kaede left until she came back with some medicine and the first-aid kit. "Please sit, Kagome, and I'll dress your wound."

Kagome sat opposite of InuYasha while Kaede knelt next to her, promptly wiping away the blood and cleansing the wound with antibacterial spray. Kagome opted to biting her lip when it stung, since InuYasha thought her discomfort was something to roll his eyes at. Soon afterwards, Kaede spread some cold paste over the area to numb the skin. When Kagome saw the priestess bring out a needle and thread, she blanched before turning away. There wasn't any pain, but she did feel a weird tugging sensation at her side. The feeling didn't last long.

"There, good as new," Kaede said, cleaning up her supplies. Kagome quietly thanked her before settling herself into a more comfortable position at the table, her stomach growling at the sight of the stew. InuYasha's ear twitched at the sound. "Feel free to eat, Kagome. There's more than enough for all of us."

Kagome noticed InuYasha lean away from the table and lay on the ground, facing the wall. She still didn't understand why he hadn't left yet, or why Kaede didn't kick him out, but Kagome's stomach thought food was a more important matter.

Kaede filled up their bowls, and the two ate in silence until Kagome couldn't hold in her thoughts any longer. "So…" She began, and the old woman glanced over with an attentive eye. "How many demons are after the jewel?"

Kaede sighed, setting down her bowl. "It's difficult to say. In this progressive age, many malevolent spirits are out to obtain it to gain incredible power. And not just demons, but humans as well."

Kagome furrowed her brow, turning her eyes to the "malevolent spirit" lounging across from her. "So why are _you_ after the jewel?" InuYasha's ears swiveled in her direction. "You're already pretty strong without the jewel, so why bother?"

"It's because he's only a half-demon," Kaede stated without batting an eyelash.

InuYasha flipped around, abruptly smashing his fist into the table, splitting it in half and making everything on top of it slide to the hardwood floor.

He snarled at the old woman, "Y'know, I'm gettin' real tired of you talkin' about me like you know everything. So why don't you just leave me the hell alone!"

Kaede only closed her eye and sighed. "After the incident today, it's hardly a good idea to leave you alone, especially now that you're after the jewel."

"Keh, I've always been after the jewel," he pointed out, leaning back on his hands with a bitter smirk. "And now that Kikyo's outta the way, I got nothin' to worry about."

"Oh, but it's hardly time for you to relax, InuYasha," Kaede said glancing at the girl beside her. "You see, young Kagome, here, is the new protector of the jewel, and a fellow disciple of Lady Midoriko."

InuYasha's brows furrowed as he cast a sidelong glare at the girl. Kagome's eyes briefly widened then squinted at the old woman. Her mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. "I… what?"

"Your likeness to Kikyo was peculiar on its own, but the spiritual powers that you displayed this evening and the fact that the jewel appeared inside of you is proof beyond anything."

"W-wait, proof of what?" Kagome stammered. "That I'm related to Kikyo?"

"Not exactly," Kaede answered. "Hundreds of years ago, back when demons and humans were in a constant state of war and violence, there was a powerful priestess known as Midoriko. She sacrificed herself to create the Shikon no Tama and end the bloodshed. Following her demise, her two remaining disciples took it upon themselves to share the protection of the jewel.

"However, over time, one sister, your great ancestor, grew very tired and weak, forcing her to retire. The other sister prospered and fulfilled her duties. This sister passed down her powers to every other generation of priests and priestesses. Eventually the power rested upon my shoulders, then they fell to my granddaughter, Kikyo."

Kagome took a moment to allow the information sink in, but it was all very heavy. "So… because Kikyo passed away, her power passed to me?"

"No," Kaede said, "the power you possess is all yours. Because it lay dormant in your family's bloodline, it's simply underdeveloped." Kaede lifted a hand to her mouth and thought deeply. "But the jewel appearing in your body is a mystery. Before Kikyo passed, she asked for me to destroy it, but it vanished before I could do anything with it. I am not entirely sure, but my theory is that maybe the jewel transferred to you on its own accord."

Kagome fished the jewel from her pocket and turned it over between her fingers. It was a foggy-pink color, almost like a cross between a pearl and quartz, and it shimmered with a soft glow. She could faintly feel an ethereal pull — like an invisible string from the jewel tugged at her brain.

As much as Kagome wanted to believe this was all a dream, everything felt too real. How could she be a protector of some jewel, let alone possess spiritual powers? Sure, her family owned a shrine, but she thought it was all a gimmick. Her grandfather claimed to have powers, but none of his little tricks ever worked.

Kagome didn't know whether she wanted to cry or scream. So she just sat there, staring at the jewel in silence.

…

Kagome didn't make the last train, so she had to spend the night in Kaede's living room. Before going to bed, Kaede let Kagome borrow her phone to call her family, even though it was late into the night. They sounded frantic on her side of the line, but both Kagome and Kaede reassured them that she was safe.

InuYasha left without a word after Kaede's revelation about Kagome's powers. He was in too sour of a mood to interact with anyone anymore. Regardless, he still wanted the jewel, so he opted to wait nearby until morning. He could have easily stolen the jewel while the girl was asleep, but getting it without a fight didn't sit right with him. Not that its new "protector" could put up much resistance anyway…

He let his thoughts wander to all that happened today, and to what happened a week earlier. He didn't know Kikyo died that day, and he didn't even notice her blood. Hell, after she cursed him, he didn't know a week had passed — to him, it felt like decades of pain. Just thinking about her made his gut ache and his chest tighten. He didn't want to think about her. She was dead. Good riddance.

He sat on the railing of the shrine's porch, staring out beyond the torii gate. From where he sat, the town's lights were a continuation of the stars in the sky. Just a big expanse of space.

A flicker of movement caught his eye. An abnormally big crow perched on a lamp near Kaede's home, staring through a window. He realized that this bird wasn't big for its kind, it was just a crow demon, and the red glow from its three bulging eyes revealed that it knew exactly what was inside that house.

InuYasha grabbed a handful of pebbles off the ground and tossed them one-by-one at the pest, making it squaw and flee in annoyance. The jewel was his. There was no way in hell he'd let some pesky crow demon take it from under his nose. But still, from here on out, he knew things would only become more complicated, and he was not looking forward to it.

…

Kagome awoke to the smell of simmering fish. Kaede cooked up a hearty breakfast consisting of crispy fish, sticky rice, and a warm bowl of miso soup. There wasn't much said between them while they ate, and InuYasha didn't join them at the table, but Kagome didn't mind. She was just anxious to get home.

After breakfast, she helped Kaede clean the kitchen. Once the table was clean, she went to tidy herself up. There wasn't much she could do with no spare clothes and a dirty uniform, though.

Just as Kagome slid on her penny loafers to leave, Kaede stopped her. "Kagome, I know you're hurrying to leave, but you must be on your guard now that you have the jewel. To be honest, I am not very comfortable with your decision. I think it would be best if you stayed just a while longer..."

And to be honest, Kagome didn't want to stay here any longer, with or without the jewel. Removing the jewel from her pocket, she offered it to the priestess. "Thank you for your concern, Lady Kaede, but I can't stay. So, uh, why don't you take the jewel?"

The woman waved her off. "Although I am a fellow disciple, my powers pale in comparison to yours. The jewel is at its most pure when it's with you."

Kagome frowned and stuffed it back into her pocket. She didn't want to be held responsible, but she also didn't know how to convince Kaede to just take it. She had no desire to be in any part of this, and would rather go home and pretend everything was a dream.

So she lied.

"Okay, then. I guess I can stay a while and explore the town." She offered a smile and headed out the door before the old woman could argue. "Thank you, Lady Kaede!"

…

The town didn't look the same during the day. Last night it was desolate and quiet, but this morning it was bustling with activity. People were dashing to and from stores, chatting with familiar faces. There were kids playing on the side of the streets, their laughter filling the warm air. It was almost like another world.

Because this was so unfamiliar, Kagome couldn't remember where the train station was. There was always the option of asking for directions, but…

Kagome suddenly felt uneasy. She heard murmurs from behind her, and when she glanced around, she noticed some people several pairs of eyes scrutinizing her.

"Did you hear?" a townsperson whispered. "That girl there is a disciple of Midoriko, just like the late Priestess Kikyo."

"She does have a divine presence about her..."

How did word get out to these people so fast? They made social media look slow when it came to spreading gossip.

Just when she thought she'd seen it all, a small kid ran up to her, shyly offering her a tangerine before bowing deeply and scurrying away. From then on, people walked up to her, murmuring praises, and prayers, and offerings. Kagome was so flustered that she just allowed the offerings to pile up in her arms.

…

InuYasha was brooding in a tree, just on the edge of the rice paddies, and he almost didn't catch the pear that soared towards his head. Following the scent of the fruit was a gut clenching smell, and he glared at the girl below.

"Come down and share this with me!" she called to him, her arms full with bags and baskets of fruits and vegetables.

He eyed the pear then the girl. "Where'd the food come from?"

"The villagers gave it to me." She placed the offerings at the base of the tree, then sat down, her back against the trunk. "Come eat some of this! I can't do it by myself, and I definitely can't fit it all in my backpack to take back home…"

InuYasha hopped down with a grunt, landing a few feet away from the girl. He stared at her as if she had a hidden knife up her sleeve, then after a couple seconds of pondering her motives, he squatted down on the grass. He switched the pear for a large daikon, sniffed it, then took a chomp out of the root. His chewing was noisy and sloppy, which grated on Kagome's nerves, but she let it slide. It was best not to start a pointless argument over table manners.

Although InuYasha constantly glared at the girl, the two said nothing to one another. Kagome paid him no mind and just ate her pear as she gazed over the rice paddies. Her legs were extended in front of her, her feet tilting right and left. Between bites, she would periodically push strands of black hair behind her ear, only to have the wind pull it out again. It was like she didn't give a damn that an angry half-demon sat next to her.

InuYasha swallowed his bite and fully faced the girl. "What are you scheming?"

She shrugged, a distant look in her eye. "Nothing, I was just… well the trains are down today so I thought… " She took a final bite out of the fruit before placing the core on the ground. Her brows knitted as she glanced at the boy's tense posture. "You hate me, don't you?"

"You make me retch," he stated, hands on his knees.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "It's not even _me_ you hate, it's this _Kikyo_ person." InuYasha harumphed, his eyes glued to the root in his lap. Kagome sighed. "Look, I'm _not_ Kikyo, so aren't you being a little unfair? Can't we just get to know each other and — I don't know — get along?"

" _HA!_ " InuYasha launched to his feet, pointing down at the girl. "You think I'm an idiot? Like I'd ever fall into that lame sense of security! I don't care who you are — I'll show you no mercy when I take that jewel from you!"

Kagome tilted her head at him. For some reason, the daylight and his false bravado made him look more like a ridiculous dirty punk than a terrifying demon. She couldn't believe she had been afraid of him in the first place.

She examined her dirty nails. "Oh really? Well mercy or no mercy, all _I_ have to do is say, 'Sit...'" By her command, the boy was yanked into the grass with a yelp. Kagome giggled. "Oops! My bad!"

She guessed the muffled grumble from the ground was a curse, but it only made her grin widen.

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 **A/N**

Sorry for the long wait! I've been busy with my webcomic, and the next chapter will take a while because of school and stuff. So please bare with me! Thanks!


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